Draft Dreamer: Shavon Revel Jr

The new league year has rolled over and this is the chance for all teams to reset and fans to renew their hopes. First will be free agency and then onto the draft and if you have followed my work, then you know this is my favorite time of year and it’s never too early to start breaking down NFL Draft prospects. This class is packed with players that are going to make an impact at the next level. I will cover each and every one of them from the big dudes in the trenches to the erasers patrolling the secondary. For my next Draft Dreamer, I want to focus on CB Shavon Revel Jr who played for the East Carolina Pirates.

The Background

Shavon Revel Jr was a three-star recruit at strong safety for the RJ Reynolds Demons in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Revel Jr was also a star WR for the Demons. He was more of a star on offense for the Demons than he was on defense. His career defensive totals didn’t produce much as far as stats, as he finished his high school career with 29 games played, 27 total tackles, 10 solo stops, and one TFL. On offense, he finished with 1191 rushing yards, 5.0 average per carry, two 100-yard games, and 15 touchdowns, while adding 69 receptions for 870 yards, 12.6 average per catch, and eight more touchdowns. Revel Jr would transfer to Reagan High School before his senior season, where he amassed 38 tackles, three TFLs, and four interceptions. Also lettered as a prep track & field standout, logging a 6.90 indoor time in the 55-meter dash, a 37.87 indoor clip in the 300-meter dash, a 20-9.5 long jump, and a 5-8 high jump

Despite his athletic ability and traits, he would receive no major offers at the college level. With that, he would attend Louisburg College where he would play two seasons for the Hurricanes. Revel Jr would only play in six games for the Hurricanes as his first year saw the season canceled due to covid (2020) and a shortened season in 2021. He would help lead them to a 4-2 record in the shortened campaign. Revel Jr would transfer to East Carolina after impressing their coaching staff at an ECU summer camp, by running a 4.4 40-yard dash and posting an 11’ broad jump, where they quickly offered him a scholarship.

In his first season with the Pirates, Revel Jr played in nine games, playing 108 snaps (25 defense, 83 special teams), with totals of eight tackles and four solo stops. The following season (23’) everything seemed to click for Revel Jr as he was named 2nd-Team All-American Athletic Conference by the league's head coaches. He started all twelve games for the Pirates while producing a season box score of 55 total tackles, 30 solo stops, 54.5% solo rate, 3½ TFLs, one sack, one interception, 12 PBUs, one fumble recovery, and two blocked kicks. His 1.08 PBU average per game was third-best in the AAC. With the breakout season and now on NFL radars, he decided to return for his senior year in an effort to improve his draft stock.

The hype coming into his senior year was real, having been named to the 2024 Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Senior Bowl, and East-West Shrine Bowl Watch Lists, Garnered Preseason AAC Cornerback of the Year, Special Teamer of the Year, First Team All-AAC cornerback and First Team All-AAC special teams by College Football Network. With his stock flying high, Revel Jr would start the season with a bang, but see it come to a screeching halt after just three games when he tore his ACL. Out for the rest of the year, his season totals would be three games started, eight total tackles, four solo stops, 50% solo rate, ½ a TFL, two interceptions, and two PBUs. He would return one of his interceptions 50 yards for a touchdown.

Player Breakdown

It took a while to get there, but Revel Jr has developed into one of the top cornerbacks in this draft class. Despite the small sample size, there is a lot about his game that is desirable to NFL teams. He measured in at 6’2”/194 lbs at the combine with 32⅝” arms. He's big, long, and fast which will entice a lot of teams, and with bigger, faster, stronger receivers in today’s NFL, you will need a player that can hold his own. Revel Jr can do just that, as he uses his long arms in press coverage to reroute receivers. His acceleration and long strides allow him to cover a lot of ground and close quickly. Something that not all corners are willing to do that he does is willingly to stick his nose into the run game.

Revel Jr plays with a physicality both in coverage and versus the run with a change of direction that is silky smooth for a corner with his height. As an added bonus, he’s a very willing and capable gunner on special teams, where he plays like a heat-seeking missile. Only a small sample size of starting but when given that opportunity he showed major football IQ, play recognition, and ball skill improvements in his game. He’s far from being perfect, as mentioned he’s under-experienced and is coming off a major injury (ACL), but has some major upside. Needs to improve in zone coverage and trust his skills to recover, instead of panicking and grabbing. All of this is coachable and will improve with more experience.

NFL & Fantasy Projection

There is a lot to like and there are a lot of concerns, but his blend of size, speed, physicality, and quick processing are things you can teach. As a player at this stage of your career, you either have them or you don’t. He’s going to be best suited as a boundary corner who can run, cover, and hit. Before the injury, there was some legit draft buzz that he could be a potential Top 15 pick, but now I would see him falling somewhere into the 2nd round as long as his medicals check out with green checks. I won’t be shocked if a team falls in love with his potential and moves up to get him, maybe even late 1st round. It’s hard to find a corner with his shutdown potential and the skills, size, and mentality to make it happen.

As high as his potential for the NFL draft is, it won’t/shouldn’t be when it comes to IDP fantasy. What I mean is, that for starters, most fantasy managers stream the position, so there is no need to overreach for him. It’s very likely that he will go undrafted in IDP fantasy rookie drafts. If you have the room and have secured up your team's weak spots, then I am perfectly fine using a late-round flyer draft pick on him. Remember he’s still very raw as far as experience, so stash him on your taxi squad and be patient for him to develop. His best value will come in position-specific leagues where you are required to start cornerbacks. I love the player a lot and patient fantasy managers will be rewarded.

Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy